Danny DeVito Leaves Michael Douglas Hanging on Set of 'War of the Roses

Director Danny DeVito staged a prank on actors Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner while filming the climactic chandelier sequence of the 1989 dark comedy *The War of the Roses*. During the shoot, DeVito instructed the cast to climb onto the set piece, then walked away, leaving them suspended for five to ten minutes. Douglas recalled hearing DeVito say, “OK, that’s lunch!” before the joke was revealed.

DeVito said the stunt was payback for the demanding conditions they endured on earlier productions, notably *Romancing the Stone* and its sequel *The Jewel of the Nile*. The actors eventually descended safely, and production continued. The anecdote was shared by Douglas in an interview with AARP The Magazine.